ISLAMABAD: At least 347 more students from Kyrgyzstan have arrived in Islamabad, as the return of Pakistanis stranded in Bishkek continues following the violent episodes last week.
A group of 180 students reached in Pakistan on flight of a private airline at 5:26am while the first Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight also brought a batch of about 167 other students from the Kyrgyz capital in the morning.
A total 810 students have arrived in Islamabad on five flights so far.More than 300 Pakistanis retuned from Bishkek, landing in Islamabad and Lahore on separate flights.Islamabad International Airport manager Aftab Gillani welcomed 179 returnees on their homecoming in the federal capital and presented flower bouquets to them.
Mob attacks erupted in Bishkek, targeting a number of Pakistani and other foreign students last Friday, which resulted in injuries of various Pakistanis.As per Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, about 11,000 students were in Bishkek while 6,000 others were in different cities.
The situation in the Kyrgyz capital, according to the students stuck there, became out of control as they feared for their lives and demanded immediate evacuation, but the government downplayed the unrest in the Central Asian state.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar received another 170 students in Lahore, which he said was the fourth batch arriving from the Kyrgyzstan in Lahore.
The minister assured that all possible measures would be taken to facilitate the students returning from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.He mentioned that a special flight was scheduled to bring back injured students.The Pakistani embassy in Kyrgyzstan has put up a Google form for the evacuation of Pakistani students.
On the sidelines of SCO Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Astana, Dar met Kyrgyz Foreign Minister JeenbekKulubaev.
The meeting focused on the recent developments in Bishkek and the welfare of Pakistani nationals there. Dar underlined that Pakistan’s main concern was the security and well-being of its nationals, especially the students who were primarily affected by the violent incidents.
He also requested the Kyrgyz foreign minister for holding to account those responsible for the attacks on Pakistani students.
